Jeff Cooper shares stories and images born of his encounters with birds and wildlife and the places they meet

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Green-backed Male Rufous Hummingbird

Seeing and photographing a male Calliope Hummingbird at my front porch feeder this past week was a real treat. The story and images of that bird and other hummingbirds can be viewed by clicking here.

After not seeing the Calliope Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning I turned my attention to the backyard feeder because I had noticed a male Rufous Hummingbird sporadically at that feeder. I wondered if it might still be around or had possibly moved further south on its annual migration through Utah to Mexico. While the Calliope may have moved on it pleased me to discover that the male Rufous Hummingbird at the back feeder was still around AND it was actually a "green-backed" adult male Rufous. My Sibley Guide to Birds of Western North America indicates that green-backed adult males make up about 5% of the total adult male population. Naturally I became eager to photograph and study the bird because there was an even smaller chance I'd have an Allen's Hummingbird. Their range this time of year is the California and west Mexico coasts. Both birds look very similar in appearance. However, Allen's are expected to have a mostly green back and rump where the green-backed Rufous would likely have a rufous-colored rump. The best way to distinguish between the two is to get a good look at their tail feathers. The Rufous has two notched feathers, one on each side of the two central tail feathers, where Allen's have tapered feathers.

After finishing a meal with my wife and mother in law and cleaning the kitchen I began to set up my green-backed Rufous Hummingbird lab in the back yard. I set up my blind with the sun at my back. Inside I placed a camp chair and a small electric fan. I then ran an extension cord so I could actually use the fan inside the blind because it can feel like a sauna inside that blind on hot summer days.

The target bird briefly appeared at the feeder about every fifteen minutes. After about an hour it finally landed where I could get the images I was hoping to get--the green back and the tail feathers in a full spread.

The next three images provide the telltale (pun intended) sign this is a Rufous rather than an Allen's adult male. The feathers on each side of the two central tail feathers had the notch expected for Rufous and not for Allen's.

4 comments:

Thanks Jeff for the great lesson on hummingbird ID. Great pictures showing those detailed tail feathers. Makes me wonder if these birds could be distinguished from each other in the field (i.e. without a camera). Right now I have a battle on my porch feeder between a female Rufous, a female Black-chinned and a wasp. The wasp wins every time!

Thanks, Rachel. I enjoyed studying this bird and how it differs from the Allen's. I would love to spend more time in the field, but I've had to stick around the house when not working lately. Enjoy the hummer battles while they last!

Copyright Notice and Prints for Sale

I spend a great deal of time and resources to obtain the images I share on my blog. Copyright laws declare that I own and retain all rights to my images. Please don't download, copy, reproduce, or distribute these images without my permission. I generally enjoy sharing so please ask if you would like to use any of my images for any purpose other than viewing them on my blog.

If you see any images you want to have printed professionally or have any questions you can reach me at jeffcooper7@gmail.com.

About Me

I'm a husband, father, and grandfather making a living as a sourcing and supply chain management professional. I love people and nature and the places they meet. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and am grateful to the Creator who set in motion the creatures and creations I enjoy as I explore our fascinating world. Blogging allows me to fulfill my passions for exploring, discovering, learning, and sharing. I never tire of seeing what nature has to offer and love capturing and sharing images from my experiences with nature. I currently use Nikon gear and capture most of my images hand-held, without the use of a tripod.